Hello gang. Still sick (fucking tonsillitis), so it'll be another quick one. Some decent stuff this week, but then we got a disappointment. Not the worst week I've had, but not the best. Still, theres some good stuff to be had. So sit back and enjoy.
The Hustler (August 10th, 2014)
Director: Robert Rossen
Starring: Paul Newman, Piper Laurie, George C. Scott, and Jackie Gleason
Leave it to me to watch the first Eddie Felson movie after the second. It doesn't really matter, as the narrative of this doesn't spill into the other. But it does inform who and where Eddie is in his life. Here, Eddie is like the Tom Cruise character in the sequel. He's a cocksure kid who thinks he knows everything and doesn't really know how bad he's making things for himself. The only difference is that Eddie didn't have someone to mentor him like Cruise did. Here, he's a pool shark looking to beat the best, Minnesota Fats (Gleason). But he ends up blowing it all and has to build himself back up. This is all good and interesting, seeing Eddie as a young and stupid kid. It's also nice to see someone who is kind of addicted to losing try to break that pattern and better himself. But I really could have done without the girlfriend story. It does nothing for me and comes across as very cliche. She is just another woman who has to die to make the man motivated and it doesn't work. It also pads out the run time, making the movie slow to a crawl. The rest of the cast is great and makes the movie work as well as it does. Newman shows us a star in the making, Scott shows a real toughness, and Gleason brings his lived in charisma to the proceedings. It's a good movie, just brought down by a misguided side story. Still worth watching though.
Rating: 8/10
Christine (August 11th, 2014)
Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Robert Prosky, and Harry Dean Stanton
This movie shows how talented and on point Carpenter was in the 80s. This is based on a Stephen King book, and not one of the realistic ones that sound easy to adapt. No, this one is about a killer car that possesses a young man. So, it stands to reason that a movie like this could be an absolute joke and look real silly. But Carpenter was on fire at this point and knew exactly what he was doing, he makes this movie seem completely normal and not silly at all. Right of the bat, the tone of the movie is totally Carpenter. And as per usual, the movie looks really good and is shot with his typically great eye for composition. The main cast is real good, selling the premise really well and keeping the story grounded. Some of the secondary characters/extras aren't so hot but they don't completely kill the movie. They just stand out a little bit. The biggest criticism to be leveled at the movie is that the third act comes off a little rushed. Nothing too bad and it makes sense in a way within the story, but afterwards leaves you feeling it wasn't as naturally flowing as it could have been. But either way, you leave the movie really surprised and impressed at the work Carpenter did. The fact that this isn't even close to his best work from the 80s should say something about his output. A damn fine film and worthy of a look.
Rating: 9/10
The Expendables 3 (August 14th, 2014)
Director: Patrick Hughes
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jason Statham, and Mel Gibson
They really should have went R rated. PG 13 action movies can sometimes be ok, but they'll never pack the wallop and pain, or even humor, an R rated movie can give you. Humor to the violence is what the first two in this series gave us. So over the top that it's funny. And it has to be over the top bloody, when the whole premise is getting a bunch of 80s action stars into a film and causing mayhem. And if there is one thing the 80s action movies did, it was over the top mayhem. So that seriously takes the movie down a notch. It doesn't help that it seems like it was edited down to be PG 13, because the action is kind of incoherent and not really anything special. What saves this movie is that the cast is game. There are three that need to be shouted out. The first is Antonio Banderas, showing how absolutely hilarious he actually is while at the same time showing off his action acumen. He is a shot of legitimate humor into the movie. Second is Harrison Ford. Despite obviously having shot all of his stuff separately and put into the movie, he seems to actually be enjoying himself and not just grumbling through the movie. He hasn't been this alive since he saw Marion in Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. And thirdly, Mel Gibson shows how god damned good he really is. He is so legitimately invested into the role, he seems to be in a different movie all together. There is one scene between him and Stallone where he seems like he is aiming for an Oscar, and I'll be damned if I wasn't enraptured in the scene. Now, the movie itself is big dumb fun. Most won't enjoy it, but if you enjoy dumb action flicks it is for you. Just sadly could have been much better than it is.
Rating: 7/10
Batman: Assault on Arkham (August 16th, 2014)
Director: Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Neal McDonaugh, Troy Baker, and CCH Pounder
It's almost annoying having to do this every time, but DC animated is just great. They are so above and beyond anybody else it's ridiculous. This time they are moving out of the New 52 timeline the movies have taken on and are jumping into the world of the Arkham videogames. And while Batman is in the title, the movie isn't really focused on him. This movie is focused on the Suicide Squad, and more specifically it focuses on Deadshot. It adds a nice wrinkle to the proceedings, as we follow villains instead of the normal heroes. It takes on the form of a heist movie and just goes bigger and crazier from their. The movie looks great and is voice acted to perfection. The story is really fun and takes some nice twists and turns to keep you guessing. It really is a fun, entertaining breeze of a movie. Only thing I wish was that the movie was a little longer. Maybe get into depth a little more with the squad. Its a minor nitpick but its a common problem with them, making the movie short but sweet. It's a good problem to have, leave em wanting more. The movie isn't really for kids, as it is bloody and violent as hell, with a fair amount of foul language. It's nice to see DC aiming higher than 5 year olds with their stuff. Another win for them, the best thing they've done since Flashpoint.
Rating: 9/10
Best Movies
1. Christine
2. Batman: Assault on Arkham
3. The Hustler
4. The Expendables 3
Top 5 Performances
1. Mel Gibson - The Expendables 3
2. Paul Newman - The Hustler
3. Keith Gordon - Christine
4. George C. Scott - The Hustler
5. Kevin Conroy - Batman: Assault on Arkham
Top 5 Moments
1. Why didn't his bomb go off? - Batman: Assault On Arkham
2. Christine Is Aflame - Christine
3. Conrad in The Truck - The Expendables 3
4. Eddie Loses To Minnesota Fats - The Hustler
5. Christine Puts Herself Back Together - Christine
Christine (August 11th, 2014)
Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Keith Gordon, John Stockwell, Robert Prosky, and Harry Dean Stanton
This movie shows how talented and on point Carpenter was in the 80s. This is based on a Stephen King book, and not one of the realistic ones that sound easy to adapt. No, this one is about a killer car that possesses a young man. So, it stands to reason that a movie like this could be an absolute joke and look real silly. But Carpenter was on fire at this point and knew exactly what he was doing, he makes this movie seem completely normal and not silly at all. Right of the bat, the tone of the movie is totally Carpenter. And as per usual, the movie looks really good and is shot with his typically great eye for composition. The main cast is real good, selling the premise really well and keeping the story grounded. Some of the secondary characters/extras aren't so hot but they don't completely kill the movie. They just stand out a little bit. The biggest criticism to be leveled at the movie is that the third act comes off a little rushed. Nothing too bad and it makes sense in a way within the story, but afterwards leaves you feeling it wasn't as naturally flowing as it could have been. But either way, you leave the movie really surprised and impressed at the work Carpenter did. The fact that this isn't even close to his best work from the 80s should say something about his output. A damn fine film and worthy of a look.
The Expendables 3 (August 14th, 2014)
Director: Patrick Hughes
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenneger, Jason Statham, and Mel Gibson
They really should have went R rated. PG 13 action movies can sometimes be ok, but they'll never pack the wallop and pain, or even humor, an R rated movie can give you. Humor to the violence is what the first two in this series gave us. So over the top that it's funny. And it has to be over the top bloody, when the whole premise is getting a bunch of 80s action stars into a film and causing mayhem. And if there is one thing the 80s action movies did, it was over the top mayhem. So that seriously takes the movie down a notch. It doesn't help that it seems like it was edited down to be PG 13, because the action is kind of incoherent and not really anything special. What saves this movie is that the cast is game. There are three that need to be shouted out. The first is Antonio Banderas, showing how absolutely hilarious he actually is while at the same time showing off his action acumen. He is a shot of legitimate humor into the movie. Second is Harrison Ford. Despite obviously having shot all of his stuff separately and put into the movie, he seems to actually be enjoying himself and not just grumbling through the movie. He hasn't been this alive since he saw Marion in Kingdom of The Crystal Skull. And thirdly, Mel Gibson shows how god damned good he really is. He is so legitimately invested into the role, he seems to be in a different movie all together. There is one scene between him and Stallone where he seems like he is aiming for an Oscar, and I'll be damned if I wasn't enraptured in the scene. Now, the movie itself is big dumb fun. Most won't enjoy it, but if you enjoy dumb action flicks it is for you. Just sadly could have been much better than it is.
Batman: Assault on Arkham (August 16th, 2014)
Director: Jay Oliva and Ethan Spaulding
Starring: Kevin Conroy, Neal McDonaugh, Troy Baker, and CCH Pounder
It's almost annoying having to do this every time, but DC animated is just great. They are so above and beyond anybody else it's ridiculous. This time they are moving out of the New 52 timeline the movies have taken on and are jumping into the world of the Arkham videogames. And while Batman is in the title, the movie isn't really focused on him. This movie is focused on the Suicide Squad, and more specifically it focuses on Deadshot. It adds a nice wrinkle to the proceedings, as we follow villains instead of the normal heroes. It takes on the form of a heist movie and just goes bigger and crazier from their. The movie looks great and is voice acted to perfection. The story is really fun and takes some nice twists and turns to keep you guessing. It really is a fun, entertaining breeze of a movie. Only thing I wish was that the movie was a little longer. Maybe get into depth a little more with the squad. Its a minor nitpick but its a common problem with them, making the movie short but sweet. It's a good problem to have, leave em wanting more. The movie isn't really for kids, as it is bloody and violent as hell, with a fair amount of foul language. It's nice to see DC aiming higher than 5 year olds with their stuff. Another win for them, the best thing they've done since Flashpoint.
Best Movies
1. Christine
2. Batman: Assault on Arkham
3. The Hustler
4. The Expendables 3
Top 5 Performances
1. Mel Gibson - The Expendables 3
2. Paul Newman - The Hustler
3. Keith Gordon - Christine
4. George C. Scott - The Hustler
5. Kevin Conroy - Batman: Assault on Arkham
Top 5 Moments
1. Why didn't his bomb go off? - Batman: Assault On Arkham
2. Christine Is Aflame - Christine
3. Conrad in The Truck - The Expendables 3
4. Eddie Loses To Minnesota Fats - The Hustler
5. Christine Puts Herself Back Together - Christine
- Tom Lorenzo
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